A personal diary keeping people abreast of what I am working on writing-wise.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

OH, I BURIED YOU TODAY II

* Tim O'Shea included You Have Killed Me on his top 10 of the year list, alongside books I also really liked, such as Roger Langridge's The Muppet Show, Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics, Matt Kindt's 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man, and Evan Dorkin and Jill Thomspon's Beasts of Burden.

See Tim's list, alongside the rest of the lists from the Robot 6 crew, here.

By the by, I think it's all kinds of wrong that Joëlle Jones' amazing cover for You Have Killed Me, designed up nice by Keith Wood, hasn't been making the lists of the best covers of the year. That's all kinds of wrong.

And speaking of wrong...

* Depeche Mode should maybe be awarded the song of the year, as this more than any other summed up the zeitgeist of 2009 for most of the people I know:

* Second, in case you're not sick of best-of lists yet (I've avoided most, and it's still like a lot of white noise to me), here are a few more after someone's ingenious mash-up of the movies of 2009. It's like a trailer for the whole year.

* DVD Talk's writers voted on their Top 20 DVDs of 2009, and this is what we came up with. I wrote the blurbs for Wings of Desire, Up, and The Human Condition. I should've staged a walk-out, though, when Watchmen's name even came up.

Friday, December 25, 2009

CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

More Christmas art.

I commissioned this Notorious-themed bottle from Kelley Seda to give to Joëlle. It's tough to give a talented artist artwork, you have to find an equally talented artist. Kelley did such a phenomenal job on this, it would be a crime not to share and show it off. Also, check out Kelley's adorable Christmas card at her blog.

I had every intention of avoiding the list-making impulse again this year. Every time I see one of those lists of lists, the ones that bloggers like Largehearted Boy make gathering together every "best of" they can find in one place, I disappear to some kind of quiet happy place. There are just too many. What does it all matter anymore? And this year it goes double, since we're also getting decade round-ups.

But then I was out the other night having a drink with Joëlle and she noted that based on the Golden Globes, it seemed like a bad year for movies. I said I didn't think this was true, and she challenged me to come up with my top 3. I vacillated a little, came up with a basic top 3, but said I really needed to look at everything I saw. Which I did, confirming that the guesses I made at the bar were, in fact, my faves. Once I started looking, though, it was all downhill, I couldn't stop.

There are a few movies I haven't seen. Crazy Heart, for instance, has not shown up in Portland yet (though, check Jason Bailey's review). It's one of the few I can think of that might have a slight chance of cracking this block, but I feel pretty confident that I've got a solid list here. All of the links go to my reviews of the films, so no real need to write short blurbs.

If I had to give out a special award this year, it would be to Steven Soderbergh, who entertained me not once, but three times. Though Che was technically a 2008 starter, I saw it in 2009, and alongside The Informant! and The Girlfriend Experience, the filmmaker delivered a lot of entertainment this year.

Then again, Sandra Bullock also made three movies this year, none of which I saw. What happened to you, Sandy?! I used to love you!

For a fantastic summation of 2009, I recommend A.O. Scott's intro to his own list over at the NY Times. He finds the common themes of the year, and I think is very astute. His picks are pretty good, especially his #1. Great minds...

DVD Talk is also currently working on their list rounding up our reviewers' opinions on the best DVDs of the year. This means the best packages of the best movies, not just the quality of the film itself. Below is essentially what I voted for, though I hadn't watched Tora-san yet when I voted. I swapped it with Up, since it had already made the theatrical list.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

It's the big holiday weekend, and I can finally post the reviews of all the movies I have been seeing, most of which go wide for Christmas.

NEW IN THEATRES...

* Broken Embraces, the new Pedro Almodovar is the movie for Penelope Cruz fans to see this weekend. Forget the one with the music.

* Nine, the musical remake of Fellini's 8 1/2 lacks the original's creative spark and is really just a snoozer. Second appearance by Penelope Cruz, first by Marion Cotillard this week, both of whom make this at least passable. See my link to a review of the Fellini a couple of spaces down.

* The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Rebecca Miller's new film. It falls apart in the final third, but the strong start and performances are enough to keep it as a recommended feature. Portlanders, this opens at Cinema 21 on Friday.

* Sherlock Holmes, Guy Ritchie's movie is the worst thing you can do to yourself this Christmas.

* A Single Man, Tom Ford's movie is the best thing you can do to yourself this Christmas.

* 8 1/2, Fellini's masterpiece on artistic frustration. And how frustrating that they turned this into Nine!

THIS WEEK IN DVD REVIEWS...

* Public Enemies: 2-Disc Special Edition, Michael Mann's gangster movie is the prettiest nap you can ever take. The second appearance of Marion Cotillard in this week's list of reviews. Between this and Nine, she deserves better.

* Tora-san: Collector's Set 1, the first four movies in the extensive Japanese film series, featuring a charismatic drifter in increasingly addictive romantic adventures.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

This is a piece of '30's style noir mystery, with private eye Mercer hired by the sister of an old flame to find her. It seems she was about to get married and disappeared in an improbable, suspicious manner. Although reluctant to do so, he takes the case, and discovers that his ex-flame's fiance was an inveterate gambler and had ties to a mobster named Memory. There's also a black jazz trumpeter that his ex-flame, Julie, might have been having a clandestine affair with, and may have a very wicked temper. But the more he looks, the more complicated things get, and the more suspicious the sister, Jennie, acts. Mercer could be a relative of Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good because you can instantly grasp the character and his motives, but bad because he never stands out as his own character very much. Also, Jennie was suspicious right away; she pours on the whole sexy femme fatale thing too much way too early, and by the end I honestly hadn't grasped a single of her motives. Oh, Mercer explains them, but they don't make much sense. Still, it's a solid genre story, and the art by Jones is fantastic. Lots of bold lines and delicate penciling, with a good use of space and artful shading. It's so good that I'd like to see more of her work more often. Anybody hankering for an atmospheric crime noir tale between releases of Criminal will find this a satisfying treat to tide you over. Rating: 4/5 --Andrea Speed

Tonight the Bowens threw their annual Christmas party and once again, they reminded us why this has become the holiday party for me. Great catering, great people, and private karaoke!

Many wondrous performances tonight, but oh, my god, the derby was stolen by a dark horse. Matt Fraction's version of the Kinks' "Lola" is only forgettable because it was sandwiched between his closing number, an on-pitch version of Prince's "Kiss," and his opening nuclear assault, the Pogues' "Fairtyale of New York," perfectly transforming into both Shane MacGowan and Kirsty Maccoll. Lesser mortals would have hung it up around then, but we soldiered on.

Mike Allred and I actually opened the evening with a little Rat Pack, him being the Chairman of the Board to my drunken Deano. He was the first singer on deck with Sinatra's "It Was a Very Good Year," and I was second performing Dean Martin's "Sway." Mike later followed with Supertramp's "Logical Song" and the oh-so perfect "Starman" by Bowie. He rocked so hard during the latter, he broke the mic' stand! I did some kicking and some posing for Spandau Ballet's "Gold," an underrated James Bond theme that never was.

Joëlle Jones and I also did what I think was our first duet, pairing up for a fun romp through the Human League's "(Keep Feeling) Fascination." She also performed "All My Lovin'" by the Beatles and two of the night's best performances, Radiohead's "Creep" and Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out for a Hero," dedicated to all the comic book folks in the crowd. They were transcendental moments.

I had a couple of accidental duets. Mike Oeming had been abandoned by a partner for Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," and so I jumped up to bail him out. He didn't need it, he had it down, but we had fun. I was also enlisted to be the David Bowie in a performance of "Under Pressure," but my Freddie Mercury was nowhere to be found, so Mike Allred jumped up. We never figured out who was who, but it was marvelous! One of my best karaoke experiences. We had so much fun. (If only we had convinced Laura Allred to sing "Downtown" by Petula Clark, it would have been perfect.)

Other performance highlights were Kelly Sue DeConnick's adorable and demure "There are Worse Things I Could Do" (from Grease), and Steven Birch singing Badfinger's "Come and Get It" and the Cars' "Just What I Needed."

I could go on and on. Tons of great songs. Alisa Bendis, David Hahn and his wife (they dueled with our Human League, singing "Don't You Want Me"), David Walker, Daria and Dallas, Taki Soma, our hosts the Bowens, our pal Andy on Bowie's "Modern Love" and James' "Laid," Randall C. Jarrell singing Springsteen's "Badlands"--too many to list. My memory can't make it!

What a night! What fun! Christmas Day, you have some amazing competition.

I almost took a picture of myself with a bloody mouth this week and was going to pretend that I had gone out on Halloween as Ed Helms from The Hangover, but then decided I would just rather go to bed.

Long story short, I am a bit of a dental mutant. I was born with an extra tooth, the eventual removal of which resulted in two dental surgeries before the 4th grade and weekly visits to the dentist all through 5th. Understandably, I hate dentists, and throwing away my retainer before the job was done, after several years of retainers and braces, was a huge existential moment in my life, the equivalent of rejecting God, country, and family all at once. Last time I went to the dentist was...well, I don't remember. But I had my wisdom teeth out and they found I had two extra wisdom teeth, little tiny ones that looked like dog's teeth. To counterbalance, apparently, it turns out that my other teeth have abnormally long roots--some of which my last dentist left behind in my gums. He was pretty horrible. I was awake the whole procedure, I could see my mouth reflected in his glasses, he cussed whenever his pliars slipped out of my mouth, and he refused to believe me when I told him I was in pain. He also gave me crappy drugs afterward that didn't help at all.

Earlier this year, I had a cavity in the very back tooth on the bottom left that eventually led to the front of the infected tooth falling off. I was eating a Little Debbie's Peanut Butter Bar and felt something give way and before I realized it, I swallowed the tooth shards. I know, I was like the Goofus side of some dental cartoon. Having no insurance, I decided to ride it out. I had good days and bad days, but the pain was always manageable with Tylenol or aspirin or whiskey. Weeks went by with no pain, some weeks were awful. Some may even recall my using my broken tooth as fodder for my review of The Hurt Locker.

After some bad times this fall, I made a plan to get the tooth fixed after the end of the year. I had learned that OHSU had a dental school where patients are helped for a fraction of regular prices, it just takes a little longer than normal. Sounded good to me.

Only, I woke up this past Sunday in screeching pain. I spent the whole day trying to dial it down, and nothing worked. I made myself sick with aspirin, bought a numbing agent, and could only find temporary and incomplete relief. Woke up Monday and tried to find some urgent care. Unfortunately, OHSU only books a day in advance, and fifteen minutes into their Monday, Tuesday was full. They gave me the number of SafeNet, an Oregon program that connects patients to services. As luck would have it, they had a clinic with a Tuesday afternoon opening. Apparently patients in emergency situations usually have to fly standby, but I was in.

Cut to Tuesday. I am amazed by the service I received from the Multnomah County Health Department. Efficient, friendly, and conscientious. Not bad for a bunch of socialists! I was in and out in 2 hours. They pulled the tooth, and it only cost $200. The doctor and nurse were very communicative and talked me through everything, and when I complained I was in pain, they gave me more anesthetic. No argument. No "that doesn't hurt."

Don't get it twisted, though. The experience was excruciating. You can be as numb as you want, and you can still feel the pressure of a guy drilling, pushing, and pulling inside your mouth [insert rent boy joke here]. The cavity had gone all the way down below the gums, and the whole thing had to come out. They broke it into four pieces. The doc asked me if I knew about my long roots, and I said yes, and told him the last dentist had left some men behind. This new fellow said he wasn't going to let that happen. "I love a challenge," he said. Errrr, okay, hot shot.

Well, he didn't lie. He got the whole thing out. I saw the fragments. My roots were at least 1/2" long. I wish I had gotten a picture of them next to a piece of rice or something. The nurse laughed when I asked if they were normally so big. "No, they are usually tiny," she said. The worst part of the procedure was actually getting the roots out of the socket. It was like Satan was pitchforking me from underneath my jaw. I was sweating and gripping the arm rest and I am sure I bent the bite tool they gave me to keep my mouth open. Ugh.

Again, public dentist put me on three meds as opposed to private dentist's one, and for the last two days I haven't had an ounce of pain. The only inconvenience was the first several hours of swapping out bloody gauze and the fact that I can only eat soft foods until Sunday. But, concentration was an issue prior to the operation, and I lost three days of work. Watching DVDs in bed post-op has allowed me to get some reviews in the can, including The Hangover on DVD. Expect that update when my theatrical reviews go live later today. Thanks for nothing, public health care!

Oh, well, one tooth less and hopefully I'll lose some weight from all this oatmeal and yogurt. (Plus, Joëlle's chicken soup!) First thing I'm eating on Monday: Little Debbies!

Friday, December 11, 2009

YOU DON'T REALLY LOVE ME, AND I DON'T REALLY MIND

Oh, man, am I behind this week. Two reviews?! Really? Well, to be fair, I saw six movies in the theatre between Monday and Thursday this week, starting with Broken Embraces and ending with, yes, Avatar, and I have written reviews for all of them, I'm just not allowed to post until things open in Portland. So, expect plenty more in the coming weeks, especially as I get back to my DVDs.

Friday, December 04, 2009

FOUR SEASONS IN TWO DAYS

Or, at least, that's what it feels like.

Busy weekend, including a couple of public events.

First up is tonight, when I will be making my second appearance as DJ Icky Animal, "spinning" from 11 to 1 a.m. at the Fez Fez Ballroom in the downstairs bar, 318 SW 11th Ave, right across the street from Powell's, above Buffalo Exchange. If you're wondering what kind of stuff I play, you can look at the set list from last time. $4 at the door.

Second, tomorrow night, Floating World is hosting a party to celebrate the release of One Model Nation, a little project under the guidance of Mike Allred, written by C. Allbritton Taylor and drawn by Jim Rugg. All three of those folks, plus editor Joe Keatinge, colorist Jon Fell, and historian Donovan Leitch--yes, that Donovan Leitch--will be at the store from 6 to 9.

By the way, the Portland Mercury is running some charity auctions right now. They have two comic book packages, one of which contains a place on the Oni Press comp list in 2010, which means a copy of Spell Checkers in amongst there. Bid on that here. The other auction is a pack of Dark Horse comics, and it includes an original page of Joëlle Jones' artwork from Dr. Horrible. At the moment, the price is insanely cheap, check it out.

Joëlle's site should also have prices for other Dr. Horrible pages shortly.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

I've been a fan of Yoko Ogawa's since some short stories I read in the New Yorker, and this is her first novel to be translated into English. Her prose is simple and elegant, and the story here reflects that. Actually, it's as unassuming as the title, and yet it is surprisingly deep and affecting.

The basic story is that the Housekeeper is a single mother who works as a maid to care for her ten-year-old boy. One day, she is assigned to a difficult case: a mathematics Professor with special needs. A car accident in 1975 left him with a short-term memory that resets every 80 minutes, so for him it is always the day before the accident. Yet, his mind is still sharp, and his stories and explanations about math reveal to the Housekeeper a whole new way of looking at the world. Numbers connect everything, and they explain everything. The way the math is presented in the story is easy to understand, even to a dunderhead like me. Ogawa makes sure the reason for any particular theorem is clear to the reader. Each idea is essential to the story.

When the Housekeeper first brings her son to the house, she discovers the Professor has an affection for children. The young man and the old man bond over baseball, and there is a particularly good chapter where they take the Professor to his first ever game, a uniquely problematic thing, he rarely leaves his house for a reason. Plus, they have to concoct explanations for why his favorite player won't be pitching that day, because they can't tell him he's retired.

The main throughline of the book is the connection between these people, of the family they form, and the transience of their bond forcing them to savor every moment. Ogawa avoids Western pitfalls--there is no romance, there isn't a cataclysmic accident that transforms them all suddenly--life just eventually takes its course. The difference for them is that they have now become constants, they are corresponding numbers. It's a shame Yasujiro Ozu is no longer alive, he could make a hell of a movie out of The Housekeeper and the Professor.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

A photo from last June, featuring the Walter Chiari backdrop for the current tour

What? Morrissey, how could you come to Portland and not play You Have Killed Me? You know Joëlle and I live here, right?!

Okay, okay...so a minor complaint for an otherwise stellar night. Of my top-three-hoped-for songs, you only played one ("Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice"), but surprising me with "Death at One's Elbow" and "The Loop" went a long way to making me forget. And you got to play "First of the Gang to Die" in the one town in America where it actually sounds tough, so kudos to you. The fact that you layered in "Swing on a Star" was also brilliant. On-stage mash-up!

Yes, folks, last night I got to see Morrissey for the first time in, I think, 7 years, when I saw him on the "Oye Esteban" tour. Funny thing is, I am pretty sure I was sitting in just about the same seat this time as last time. I pulled out my concert ninja skills and went down to the Roseland early and sat outside and read so we could be the first into the bar area and sit at the very front of the balcony. No squishing against saddoes for me. Gimme a chair, I'm old!

Waiting outside, I actually got to listen in on the soundcheck, hearing a few instrumental versions of songs, as well as a couple with vocals. The band did a run-through of Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" on their own, which was pretty cool and made me hopeful a full cover might emerge that evening. It was not to materialize, alas.

The show was opened by Doll & the Kicks, who I had heard good things about. They are like Siouxsie by way of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs by way of Blood Red Shoes. In our group, the opinions were split, with the boys seeming to like them more than the girls, which was interesting. The musicians in the band were good and clearly have skills, but right now, I think Doll is a little more advanced than the guys, and when they catch up to her, that's when the band will take off. Though, that's also when I am sure we can expect some No Doubt-style infighting. Do bass players still get upset when the pretty girl out front gets all the attention?

Here is the band covering the headliner:

Morrissey and the lads took the stage not long after, following a compilation of clips by the likes of Sparks, the New York Dolls, and Nico. The lead song was "This Charming Man," and it was pretty obvious from the start that the Mozfather was rarin' to go. The set was built with faster, rockier numbers, and so it was a noisy, energetic night. "Ganglord" was a pretty hefty standout for me, and the ramped-up version of "Ask" came off really well. Morrissey was joking a lot between songs, and seemed to be enjoying himself. There was a roughness to the performance that gave it an edge that I recall lacking on some late '90s tours. Thankfully, there was also an absence of stage invasions, which meant no interruptions or interference. I know we fans like to think it's all about us, but I had about enough of "us" in line and I paid to see the show, not you tackling the singer.

In the "We're All Human" Department, it was amusing to see that not even Morrissey's quiff can survive a night onstage, and Morrissey ripping his shirt off at the end of "How Soon is Now," followed by a quickly timed exit, was pretty funny. The man has a fairly solid barrel chest for being 50 years old, but it was probably for the best for him not to stand around preening. Plus, very happy to see him back to being fit and decked out in dapper dress after the chubby T-shirt tours of the early '00s.

I've no greater insight to offer. I sang along and sang loud and hopefully did not annoy those around me, and I had a blast. It's always a nervous proposition seeing someone you so admire in the flesh, and with so many cancellations and odd goings on with his tours over the last several years, I was fully prepared for Morrissey to bag out or disappoint. He did neither. There is nothing quite like the charge you feel when a performer of his type steps out on the stage. It's electric and chemical, the sense that you're seeing someone who has been anointed, who is different. There are tons of singers putting on shows all around the world every night, but not many who are this special.

Here is one tiny clip from last night's performance that has surfaced on YouTube:

Full Set ListThis Charming ManIrish Blood, English HeartBlack CloudDon't Make Fun Of Daddy's VoiceDeath At One's ElbowWhen Last I Spoke To CarolOne Day Goodbye Will Be FarewellIs It Really So Strange?I'm Throwing My Arms Around ParisCemetry GatesGanglordWhy Don't You Find Out For YourselfIf You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At MeAskThe World Is Full Of Crashing BoresTeenage Dad On His EstateThe LoopHow Soon Is NowI'm Ok By Myself

Encore: First Of The Gang To Die / Swinging On A Star

I was glad we got a less hits and more odd tracks. "Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself" is always a favorite, and given how long it has been since last I saw him, I loved that I got to hear so many b-sides like "Teenage Dad" and strong album cuts like "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell" and "I'm OK By Myself," which was a brilliant way to shut things down. You ended on a bass solo? Nice!

My confession...

Author of prose novels and comic books like Cut My Hair, It Girl & the Atomics, You Have Killed Me, and 12 Reasons Why I Love Her. Jamie's most recent novel is the serialized book Bobby Pins and Mary Janes, and his most recent graphic novels are the sci-fi romance A Boy and a Girl with Natalie Nourigat; Madame Frankenstein with Megan Levens; and the weird crime comic Archer Coe & the Thousand Natural Shocks with Dan Christensen. He also co-created Lady Killer with Joëlle Jones.